A movement to limit future building heights to two stories in the heart of downtown San Clemente was turned back by the city Planning Commission on Wednesday night.

In considering policies for an update of San Clemente's General Plan, the commission directed city staff not to rule out three-story buildings.

Current codes generally limit downtown construction to two stories but do allow a third story for mixed commercial/residential development if a project can comply with extra design constraints and meet other conditions.

Earlier this year, San Clemente's General Plan Advisory Committee voted 10-7, with two abstentions and six members absent, to recommend a two-story limit with no exceptions. The San Clemente Historical Society said it gathered 1,300 signatures on a petition calling for a two-story limit to maintain the village character the group says residents cherish.

When the two-story question first went to the Planning Commission on Aug. 29, it spurred four hours of impassioned debate. Downtown landowners said a two-story limit would gut property values, sap the incentive to upgrade buildings and lead to decay and less investment. Residents who appealed to preserve the existing look along downtown's main street, Avenida Del Mar, argued that continuing to allow three-story buildings will lead to landowners combining properties or finding other ways to meet the special conditions and max out their properties, resulting in a wall of big buildings destroying the village look.

Planning commissioners didn't deliberate that evening, deciding instead to start fresh this week. On Wednesday, their response to all the debate was that they believe the village character can be preserved through city codes and design constraints without an outright ban on three-story buildings.

"I think we all have village character at heart," Commissioner Lew Avera said. "It doesn't depend just on two stories. If we were going from two stories ... up to three stories, I would say not only no, but no way. We are being asked here to ... (make it) more restrictive than it has been. So we're not making things any easier or more liberal or worse. All the discussion we have had indicates we can maintain village character with three stories on these streets."

Mike Cotter, a member of the General Plan Advisory Committee who also is a leader with the Historical Society, voiced disappointment, citing surveys indicating residents strongly want to preserve the existing downtown character.

"Development of a general plan is supposed to involve the citizens," Cotter said, "and the residents have indicated their preference for a small-town feel, human-scale development downtown. ... The wishes of the residents seem to have been cast aside by the Planning Commission tonight. We'll have to see what the City Council does."

Commissioner Jim Ruehlin, who serves with Cotter on the General Plan Advisory Committee, said the goal of two-story advocates is good but he believes the General Plan can be crafted to "protect what deserves to be protected while giving the city an opportunity to continually improve the nature of village character."

WHAT'S NEXT

The City Council will have the final say on the two-story question when it adopts the new General Plan in coming months.

The council can expect to hear from the Historical Society, which said it will continue gathering petition signatures. Downtown landowners also figure to weigh in. So will the council-appointed General Plan Advisory Committee.

Related Links

This is a typical street scene on a weekday afternoon along San Clemente's Avenida Del Mar. The city is pondering whether to limit future construction to two stories. FRED SWEGLES, REGISTER FILE PHOTO
Hotel San Clemente, now an apartment building, is a downtown San Clemente landmark with three stories and a fourth-story structure. FRED SWEGLES, REGISTER FILE PHOTO
Plaza Del Mar, at left, completed in 2002, is the most recent large building on San Clemente's Avenida Del Mar. FRED SWEGLES, REGISTER FILE PHOTO
This is the "Historic City Hall" building at 101 S. El Camino Real, at the intersection of Avenida Del Mar in San Clemente. To the left is the site of a proposed three-story mixed-use development. FRED SWEGLES, REGISTER FILE PHOTO

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